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NLCS Game 3 tidbits

NLCS Game 3 tidbits

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By Staff
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MLB.com |

They must be butter: 'Cause they're on a roll ... Since Aug. 30, including the postseason, the Phillies are an NL-best 24-10, while the Dodgers are second-best in the Senior Circuit with a 23-10 record in that span.

Home cooking: The Dodgers and Phillies have played 11 games this season, with the home team winning all 11. Overall, the Phillies have taken six of 11, while the Dodgers have taken five.

Together again: The ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 3 at Dodger Stadium was thrown out by Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey, the Dodgers infield quartet who played together for a record 8 1/2 years. They played in four World Series, including winning the 1981 championship. Lopes currently is the first-base coach for the Phillies, Garvey and Cey work in the Dodgers front office and Russell works for Major League Baseball's umpiring division.

No need to panic: Prior to this season, the Dodgers had appeared in the NLCS seven times and had never dropped the first two games. However, of the franchise's 18 World Series appearances, the Dodgers lost the first two games seven times. On three occasions (1955, 1965, 1981) they came back to win the series. In all three of those years, they lost the first two on the road and rebounded to win three straight at home and then close out the series on the road.

Score early, or else: Through Game 3 of the NLCS (six games), the Dodgers bullpen (second only to the Phillies in the NL this season with an ERA of 3.33) posted a 1.40 ERA in the postseason. The Phillies NL-best bullpen (3.19) has posted a 1.99 ERA in seven postseason games through Sunday's Game 3.

They did: Phillies starter Jamie Moyer's 1 1/3-innings stint in Game 3 was his shortest since July 4, 1998, when, as a Mariner, he allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and a walk in a 9-2 loss to the Rangers.

Good company: With 104 RBIs in 2008, Chase Utley joined Jeff Kent and Charlie Gehringer as the only second baseman in history with four consecutive 100-RBI seasons.

Lots of good company: Dodger Stadium welcomed the largest crowd in its history for Game 3 of the NLCS on Sunday, with 56,800 fans in attendance for L.A.'s 7-2 victory.